Two years ago this month, when I first found out that my time had come to have these reconstructive foot surgeries, I was devastated. They had loomed over my life since I was first diagnosed with CMT in middle school. And based on my other experiences with surgery recovery, I imagined it would be a long, painful, and lonely journey. I dreaded this recovery time and anticipated it as a time of darkness.
But every time I have paused to reflect on my recovery this summer, the overwhelming feeling was not fear or pain or darkness (though there were certainly moments of those), but overwhelming gratitude. Gratitude for all of the people who texted, called, FaceTimed, and sent letters, prayers, food, and care packages.
And extra specially, gratitude for my familyβs beloved friends who opened their home to me and my caretakers for the summer, and for all of my friends and family members who so generously spent their time and energy coming out to LA to care for me, craft with me, cry with me, and laugh with me.
I felt supported every step (and roll) of the way, and I recognize what a remarkable gift (and privilege) that is, particularly for someone with a disability (as isolation is such a common reality for persons with disabilities due to inaccessible structures, ableism, etc.).
To be clear, I still have a full 10 months until my recovery is βover,β and there is still a lot of hard work to do in terms of physical therapy and lifestyle adaptations.
But right now, as I transition back home, I am full of hope and gratitude. In addition to my family, my friends are truly my lifeβs biggest blessing. And I have them to thank for making my summer recovery possible, and for transforming my time of darkness into a summer of beautiful, warm, and healing Light. π
fit from @aerie, mug from my hostsβ house π€
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